(1) Field of Art of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for enabling a person to apply gentle traction to the human spine by suspending the body by the arms while supporting some of his weight with his legs. The procedure of hanging by the hands and using gravity to provide traction forces to the spine is termed long axis extension. Included is a method of treating an injured spine.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The prior art includes a number of devices that have been proposed for hanging by the arms. Examples of such include:
Carlmark, U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,552 discloses a hang stand wherein a user hangs by his hands while a support behind his back maintains his spine in a correct alignment.
Bushnell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,914 discloses an exercise apparatus for a person hanging by his arms wherein a resistance member attached to the frame near his feet may increase or decrease the amount of weight supported by his arms.
Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,798 discloses a therapeutic traction apparatus wherein a user hangs by his shoulders from a pair of parallel bars. Footrests are provided to initially position himself and for rest.
Steele, U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,106 discloses a tapered wedge used to assemble scaffolding members.
Other patents of general interest are: 4,772,011, 3,642,278, 3,707,285, 3,944,219, 2,932,510, 860,517, 4,503,845, 1,495,536, and 4,657,232.
(3) Summary of the Invention
The prior art has recognized that hanging by the arms can be beneficial in assisting the rehabilitation of a person with an injured spine. However, the various known hanging devices do not appear to recognize the hazards involved when a user with an injured spine attempts to support his entire weight with his arms or if while doing so he suddenly changes the loading forces on the injured spinal discs such as upon release of his hands and dropping to the floor.
In order to compensate for the potential difficulties arising from full non-weight-bearing hanging (feet entirely free from the floor), a modification of known techniques for implementing this exercise is important. Some of the potential dangers to the user arising from full weight-bearing hanging include: trauma to shoulder articulation and/or attached soft tissue; exacerbation of the symptoms as a result of the sudden increase of compressive forces on the spine, especially in cases of acute low back inflammation, upon the release of the hands and the ensuing drop of the body to the floor.
Applicant has discovered a more gentle method of stretching the elastic soft tissues (muscles, fascia) that provide support to the axial skeleton, in particular the lumbo-pelvic section. The end result of the improved method is that the bodies response to gravity will produce decompression and partial unloading of the compression forces and allow for a fuller range of motion at the spinal segmental level without the inherent dangers of the prior art methods and hanging devices.
Thus, the invention relates in part to a method, and in part to an apparatus, that will allow the user to gently and gradually shift a desired portion of the compressive forces to his spine to gentle tension forces while maintaining a proper alignment of his spine and his thighs to reduce the possibility of further injury to the person.
As is well known, persons experiencing severe back pain may be in such discomfort as to be unable to walk and thus travel to a doctor's office where treatment could be performed. In such instances, before a patient can travel to obtain treatment, it is necessary for emergency measures to be performed at the person's home where needed equipment for spinal manipulation is unavailable.
A need exists for practitioners, such as chiropractors, to have available a hanging apparatus that can be easily transported to a patient's home and assembled by unskilled persons in a minimum of time and effort for treating such generally incapacitated persons until they are at least somewhat mobile. To such end the invention is designed to occupy a minimum of space and require no additional support from walls, ceilings, or doors as is required in many prior art devices. Because of the unique design the invention will have special usefulness in doctors' offices.
Thus, individual frame members are designed to be light in weight and easily assembled and disassembled by persons who may be unskilled mechanically without the use of tools of any kind. The device is designed to be sturdy in use and to occupy a minimum of space when assembled either in a doctor's office or in a patient's home.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a frame by which a person may hang by his arms with a portion of the weight sustained by his legs and which may be quickly assembled and disassembled so as to be easily stored or transported and reassembled with a minimum of time and effort.
A further object is to provide a method of using the hanging frame to maximize the benefits therefrom.
A further object is to provide an improved method of using a hanging apparatus to relieve spinal discomfort and to gently alleviate spinal abnormalities. These and other objects will become apparent from the description which follows.